Activities+for+any+theme

=**Ideas for teaching any theme:**=

1. Two students sit back to back. 2. They are given a category. 3. Each student takes turns naming a word/expression that fits the category. 4. A student is “out” when he/she repeats a word already given, gives a word that does not fit the category or can’t think of a new word. 5. The student who is “out” returns to his/her seat and a new “challenger” takes his/her seat. 6. Then a new category is given. 7. The goal of the game is to see which student can remain on the seat for the most rounds.
 * 1. The Last Word:**

1. This can be a whole class game (boys vs. girls, left side vs. right) or done in pairs. 2. Students complete the grid with questions, infinitives, definitions, or clues in the target language which correspond to the unit being studied. 3. One team or partner is “X” and the other is “O”. 4. In order to place your letter in a space, you must answer the question, name the word being defined or give the correct verb form. 5. The object of the game is to achieve 3 of your letters in a row.
 * 2. Tic-Tac-Toe:**

1.Students are given a blank grid (4x4, 5x5, etc.) 2. Categories students have studied label each column. (numbers, verbs, clothing, adjectives, etc.) 3. Students brainstorm expressions that know in the target language that fit each category and write them into the blocks. A “free” space can be allowed. 4. Once all grids are completely filled in, students take turns (going down the rows or across) naming one item from a particular category. 5. Students mark out that block (or cover it with a marker). Teacher writes down expressions as they are called. 6. Once a student marks blocks in an entire horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row, they call out “BINGO”- or a word in the target language. 7. Answers are verified by the teacher’s list.
 * 3. Bingo:**

1. This can be done in small groups or pairs. 2. Groups or “teams” are given newsprint and one colored marker. 3. Students are given a category for which they must brainstorm as many words as they can think of that fit the category within the given time. 4. Once the brainstorming time has expired, the color of groups’ markers is switched. (This avoids cheating.) 5. Groups take turns naming words from their list. If the word they call out matches one on another team’s list, that word must be crossed out. 6. Groups only earn “points” for unique (correct) answers. 7. A variation of this game is when the teacher has a target list he/she is looking for (ex. Name the Spanish-speaking countries of the world.) Teams earn a point for every correct answer.
 * 4. Category Brainstorm:**

1 . An overhead transparency is created with target expressions randomly written (not in rows and columns). 2. Students are divided into two teams. One member of each team is given a flyswatter. They must keep their hands at their sides. 3. The teacher calls out a word in English or in the target language (or gives a definition, asks a question, etc.). The first student who covers the correct word on the overhead screen with his/her flyswatter wins the point. 4. A variation of this is to write the words on the black board.
 * 5. Flyswatter:**

Students take turns in pairs or small groups trying to get their partners/team members to guess their word/expression through drawing, without using words, letters or numbers.
 * 6. Picture charades:**

1. Students create pairs of cards that go together (English and target language, expressions and pictures, infinitive/pronoun and conjugated verb form. 2. Cards are laid face down on the table. 3. Students take turns turning over two cards at a time. If the two cards match, they are removed from the table and the player earns points. 4. The game continues until all cards are gone.
 * 7. Memory test/Concentration:**

1. An item or several items are put into a bag. It can be based on a scenario (going to the beach, going on a trip, just got back from grocery store). 2. Students take turns asking questions about what is in the bag asking only YES or NO questions. Questions can be asked about shape, color, use, etc. 3. A variation of this activity is to place several items on a table covered with a piece of cloth. The cloth is removed for a set period of time. Then the items are covered again. 4. Students attempt to remember what was on the table.
 * 8. What's in the bag?:**

1. One student gives a sentence and takes his/her place in front of class. 2. The next student repeats the previous student’s sentence and then adds one of his/her own. 3. The story continues as far as it is allowed. 4. A variation of this activity is to create a story sentence by sentence on strips of paper which creates a paper chain.
 * 9. Continue the story:**

1. Students recall events from a story, article, reading, video or any other experience by writing details on strips of paper. 2. Collaboratively in groups, students arrange sentence strips into an order that will retell the information. 3. Blank strips can be used to fill gaps in the story. 4. A variation of this activity is to create a conversation with all of the strips.
 * 10. Story/conversation strips:**

1. Students are given a paper lunch bag with a situation or setting written on the outside of it. 2. Students use small slips of paper on which they write activities, and other vocabulary that correspond to the situation. 3. The bag is passed to another group. The second group’s task is to create a story or conversation about the situation using the cues on the slips of paper.
 * 11. Situation bags:**

Students stand on a continuum under labels based on preferences, birth months, color of clothing, etc. They then transform the data into a bar, pie or line graph.
 * 12. Human graphs:**

1. Students are given two choices for responses- True/False, Agree/Disagree, Masculine/Feminine, Present/Past. 2. The teacher gives cues and students step left or right based on their responses. 3. A variation of this activity can be Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down or an index card with each of the responses on the two sides of the card.
 * 13. Step left- step right:**

1. One student has a picture. He/she describes the picture to team members in the target language. 2. Team members attempt to draw the scene that is being described. 3. Drawings are compared to the picture prompt.
 * 14. Picture dictation:**

Students read a sentence and leave the key word out and replacing it with the word “Beep.” Other students try to guess the “Beep” word.
 * 15. Beep:**

Students create cards that represent target content. Groups/teams work together to arrange cards into categories and name the categories.
 * 16. Category cards:**


 * 17. Wordles:** Students create "word pictures" where the target vocabulary word is written in a way to illustrate its meaning.

Students draw blanks to represent the letters in a vocabulary word or phrase. Team members guess letters to spell out the word. With each guess, a part of the “hangman” is added. The object of the game is to guess the word before the hangman is complete. Students may be required to provide a sentence using the guessed word in context to win the point.
 * 18. Hangman/Wheel of Fortune:**

Students create a word search/crossword puzzle with target vocabulary. The “clues” are either a definition, picture, or translation of the word.
 * 19. Word Search/Crossword Puzzle**

1. Separate the class into two teams. 2. Within each team, the must pick a partner. 3. Partners come up and they sit facing each other. 4. One of the partners sees the vocabulary words (usually 4) and tries to give clues, without saying the word, so that his partner can guess them. 5. I give them 40-50 seconds to guess the four words. The team earns one point for each one they guess correctly. 6. Everyone gets at least one turn. I usually have 15-20 categories, which you or the students can make up. ¡Buena Suerte! Norda
 * 20. The 10,000 Dollar Pyramid**